


Would You Laugh ?

by TinyPaper



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Best Friends, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Guitars, Inspired by Music, M/M, Male Friendship, Multi, Music, Mutual Pining, Panic Attacks, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24266398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyPaper/pseuds/TinyPaper
Summary: The trio find a mysterious package on their doorstep ...
Relationships: Daniel Lim & Stephen Ng, Daniel Lim/Stephen Ng, Hosuh Lee & Daniel Lim, Hosuh Lee & Daniel Lim & Stephen Ng, Hosuh Lee & Stephen Ng, Hosuh Lee/Daniel Lim, Hosuh Lee/Daniel Lim/Stephen Ng, Hosuh Lee/Stephen Ng, Jay Ko & Hosuh Lee & Daniel Lim, Jay Ko & Hosuh Lee & Daniel Lim & Stephen Ng
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28





	1. Play Me ?

"So, uh, what do we do with this now ?" Stephen finally spoke up, not enjoying the eerie silence. 

The trio had been sitting on their old, small, couch for what seemed like hours now, examining the 'object' that currently sat on their coffee table. None of them weren't anticipating for this thing to be on their door step, up until 20 minutes ago.

The day had gone as usual for the housemates when they received an anonymous ring from the doorbell only to be met with a large beige package with a pale yellow sticky note that only read "PLAY ME" in bold black marker. There had been no address on it and the packaging looked fairly recent.

They were sceptical at first, thinking it was just a lame prank from Jay or Gavin considering their nosy shenanigans. But the suspicion was beaten down as soon as it came when Stephen adrubtly tore the paper packaging to reveal a guitar. Out of all things, it was a guitar. Accompanied by several odd looking accessories Dan recognised as a guitar stand, several guitar picks of various thicknesses and a black wooden case.

From their perspective, it seemed to be brand new. The sleek auburn colour was smooth to the touch. The metallic strings gleemed from the peach sunlight through their window and it just the perfect size to be held in their arms. No one noticed at first but when Hosuh turned the instrument in his hold to get a better looked, the sides were adorned with dozens of different hand-painted flowers in shimmering gold paint that left him completely mesmerized.

'Now if only we knew how to play.' the youngest thought as he drew his lilac hair back; causing it to be a more tangled mess than it was before.

" I honestly don't know. I don't play" Hosuh admitted honestly; plopping himself onto the carpet, no longer enjoying the tight fit on the couch.

Hosuh loved listening to music, regardless of what genre or who the artist was, minus the certain few that were far too explicit for his taste. He greatly respected anyone who chose to pursue their passion in said industry with pride. It was merely the lack of interest in learning to play was all. He very well preferred to stick with his hobby of drawing. 

"Me neither. Never bothered to. " Stephen admitted as well, lifting both his hands in the air as a sign of surrender showing that he too wasn't much capable nor interested. Obviously, Stephen was a one choice type of man when it came to music, only preferring to listen to songs made exclusively by Aimer and Aimer alone. So, it wasn't a big surprise that he didn't.

Hosuh mentally included that Dan didn't know ho-

" I mean, I guess I can. I'm no pro though" 

The man's statement made both Hosuh and Stephen to immediately whip their heads at their green haired friend in utter surprise and disbelief. 

"Wait what ?!" the two yelled simultaneously, both at a lost with words.

They didn't anticipate that Dan of all people to actually know how to play an instrument.

Now, it wasn't because they looked down upon their friend's set of skills. They trusted Dan's capabilities in a lot of things actually. In some occasions, with their life even. Just as long it didn't involve cooking.

No, it wasn't that. It was because as far as they've known Daniel, he had repeatedly shown the two that he did not like music. Not a specific genre or artist, mind you. Just music in general. Not as the entertainer nor as the listener. 

It wasn't a violent hatred for the arts though. He didn't despise it. If anything, Daniel looked like he didn't mind it at all. Hosuh knew there were people out there who did actually down right hated music, for whatever reason will forever remain a mystery to him. 

But Daniel wasn't one of them. 

That was just it though, he didn't mind. He never seemed to particularly enjoy music. Nor did it look like he hated it. If anything, didn't care.

Whenever they were in a car ride and he was the one in charge of the aux, Daniel much preferred to keep it turned off than having it on, much to both of his bestfriends dismay. They would often tease and prod him about it but alas, Daniel still wouldn't give in to their constant bickering.

When it was their turn to change the silent setting, the man would lay back and pretend he wasn't hearing anything. No matter how bop and catchy the song was. Even the " great and all powerful Stephen" could find some amount of enjoyment in a few iconic, nostalgic hits. 

It didn't make any better that he would never give a proper explanation for the annoying little habit. Every single why's would be responded with shoulder shrugs and short hums but never a real sentence. At some point, both Hosuh and Stephen just assumed that their housemate just wasn't interested in music.

" Yeah, I used to take classes in middle school before I met you guys. I quit taking them after highschool started cause the fee was getting annoying." he said as he eyed the guitar in slight interest.

" Wait, but why didn't we ever see a guitar in your room when we went to your place? You can't tell me you threw it away. You're a complete idiot Dan but that doesn't make you stupid." the youngest huffed. Stephen may have never played a single instrument in his life but even he knew it would have been a poor decision to just rid of an expensive object that you've put effort in to learn.

"Well, I left it in the basement and you guys just decided we would never step foot in there cause it was spooky remember ?" he tried explaining, still very distracted by the guitar to pay full attention to his friends "QnA".

"Yeah, but why would you stop playing ? Stopping taking lessons doesn't stop people from playing doesn't it ?". This time it was Hosuh who spoke up, confused why his friend would stop from practicing such a useful talent. 

Albeit, he wasn't the most observant of the three but you didn't need to be a analytical extraordinare to notice that Dan was really fascinated by the new found present. Almost to the point were he wasn't listening.

Daniel went silent as he continued to gaze at the instrument. Heavens knew he really wanted to play it. It was such a beautiful guitar. It scarily looked accurate to the dream guitar he fantasized having as a child. With it's well made design, it must have cost months' worth of savings. Mayhaps, years. The light shining of the metallic strings were almost calling for him in trance. Begging to be strummed.

So what was stopping him now ?

"I- I don't know if you guys wanna know. It's a pretty dumb reason to be honest." he mumbled anxiously.

"Well if it's as dumb of a reason then you shouldn't have a proper reason to hide it !" Stephen exclaimed, somewhat annoyed at the other's hesitancy.

He almost regretted yelling when he saw the other flinch under the sudden volume change. The topic couldn't have been that personal for him to react so ill at ease? 

Could it ?

"First of all, Stephen don't yell. Second, Dan you don't have to tell us if you really don't want to. It's fine." Hosuh comforted, not wanting to make Dan any more uncomfortable than he was already. 

To be frank, this was the first time in years the eldest saw his friend acting this tense and jumpy. He was more used to and honestly much more comfortable with the confident, " Mr knows what he wants" Daniel. 

If the way his friend jumped at the purple haired man's aggression was any indication, it would be better for everyone to lay off the matter.

Dan took a moment to evaluate his choices. Throughout the years he's spent with the two, they've never been one to disrespect a person's mental space. This included his. Sure, a few comments and jokes would be thrown here and there but they knew their boundaries when it came to personal topics and when the truths were released, they were never the one to judge. It was even more relieving to know that they would defend the other if any stranger were to ever cross their comfort zone without permission.

They were the first and some of the only people that tolerated and even enjoyed his presence and habits of wanting things by the book. It was why he enjoyed being around them so much despite the chaotic mayhem the two could bring.

Yes, this included sweet, dearest Hosuh. 

It became to the point where Dan couldn't consider them any less than family. An odd thing to say, but he was true to his word nonetheless.

He knew he had to get this off his shoulders at some point. Bottling his anxieties for years on end took tolls in the man's behaviour. Sure, he hid the habits extremely well but that never rid the nerve wrecking feeling of wanting to run off and never see the light of day again.

He realised that he actually wanted them to know. They deserved a right to know this part of him. If not, at least a peak through. For his own mental sake.

"Thanks Hosuh but no, I do." he said, voice much determined though it didn't hide the small, shaky tremor that lingered behind.

The two went silent for moment in genuine surprise before Hosuh cut in.

" You sure Dan ? We don't wanna force you to talk if you feel awkward about it. We don't wanna push illegal buttons here. Its your choice in the end." he reassured the agitated man. Even Stephen had nodded along in agreement, guilty for pressuring their friend into such a state.

Yet this time, the man looked much more confident than before, the usual Daniel starting the snake back into his system.

"Positive."

Daniel exhaled a breath he didn't knew he held before slowly speaking up. "Y'know those talent show performances they do in school right ?"

The two quickly nodded in agreement. To which, Daniel continued.

"Well, somewhere around the last year in middle school I volunteered to be in it and I thought I could sing while I played guitar y'know ?" Daniel took a moment to look up at his two friends who were paying close attention to every word before continuing.

"But when I climbed up stage that day, I- I don't know what happened. I just stop- stopped thinking I guess ? Next thing I knew, everyone was laughing and I kinda panicked and then I- I just fucking bolted off the stage !" He exclaimed.

He poured all the years worth of pent up embarrassment and anxiety to the duo who had been silent throughout his rant, only giving small nods of understanding every now and then.

Honestly, he hated how his voice cracked as he spoke. He could feel the burn of tears etching behind his eyes as he tried to blink them away. He didn't realise the grip he had on his wrist had tightened, dangerously suffocating, in a poor attempt to hide the visible shaking his body was doing.

He remembered how badly he stuttered and shook while he stood on stage. His voice kept cracking and he kept messing up the chords that resulted in more shaky stuttered singing. By the time he was half way into the song, he looked up back at the crowd and to his outmost fear he noticed that the crowd were giggling at his clumsiness and that was enough for poor, young Daniel to break. The stool he sat on toppled over as he hopped off and ran away from the stage in a frantic. 

He didn't realise where he was running at the time but when he did regain proper function of his brain, he was huddled over and hunched up behind the school near the shrubbery as he hugged the instrument in his small hands with such vigor. He was probably not in the most stable state still because he realised a moment too late that he was tugging the metal strings much too hard and they snapped. 

Just like his passion for music.

When he came back home that day, he practically all but threw the guitar into the pitch black basement, never to be seen again. He begged his mother to stop paying for lessons, lying that he wanted to focus more on school to which she believed. 

Elias, who knew the true reason for the sudden halt cause he was there to bere witness, had tried to persuade his little brother to keep playing but it payed to be of no use. 

Stubborn young Daniel hated his music and he always will.

"Eversince then, I just couldn't play or even stand in front of a huge crowd without freaking out. I hate it. I mean, it's not like I hate playing music, I love it even. It's just that whenever I remember that day, I think I just might have a panic attack."

Dan brought both of his hands over his face in shame; shaking like a leaf as he did so. It would have taken a blind man to not notice how badly the man was trembling. His bloodshot eyes were brimmed with tears that somehow still managed to stop itself from falling. His breathes were shaky and short as Daniel tried his best to stop himself from having a full emotional breakdown.

Seeing how Dan was behaving, Hosuh had subconsciously grabbed onto one of the anxious man's hand and started caressing the top of his hand with his thumb gently in hopes to calm his nerves. Which thankfully helped to a certain extent.

"To be completely honest, I still don't like being in front of huge crowds. It makes me jitter a lot. If I don't deal with it in time, I start having trouble breathing. Moving. Talking. Never really ends well on my half." he spoke through his hands. 

For all his life, he's never been much of an honest person when it came to emotions. He much preferred being the person to provide comfort. Not the one receiving it. So this predicament he got himself into, was not up to his comfort zone. 

Daniel panted slightly as he ended his story, breathless. For a moment, the silence amongst them made him think that the two would've actually laughed at him, looking down at his cowardliness. Howbeit, it was mere little thought as the two lunged at him a second later; pulling him into a big, bear-like hug. 

The man let out several disapproving grunts as he lay sandwiched between the two men attempting to struggle his way out which proved fruitless as their embrace was much too strong for him to wriggle out off. He eventually gave in and soon shrunk into the hug as he basked in the warmth; hugging back.

Stephen and Hosuh both let out a small sigh of relief as they noticed their friend physically relax in the manhandled hug. They were very grateful that they now knew the true story behind their friend's constant displeasure for music. They would've never guessed in a million years that internet famous Daniel Lim was actually terribly stage fright and self- conscious.

After a few minutes of silence, they soon let the hug falter while Daniel readjusted himself from the nervous wreck he was in. Hosuh let himself scoot forwards so that he sat in front of Dan. Then he brought his hands up to cup the other's face so they were looking eye to eye.

The look of content in Hosuh's eyes had Daniel unable to look away. The way those sky blue eyes sparkle in admiration would have made anyone ground themselves to earth like an anchor. 

Stephen inched closer and moved himself so that he was sitting beside Daniel while he faced the other. He then pulled him into a side hug, with his hand gently rubbing circles into his back as a form of comfort.

Hosuh then spoke softly, voice gentle and full of fondness. "We're sorry for making you so nervous Dan. We didn't think it would have been so bad of an experience for you. Please, if you ever feel nervous like that, tell us. We really care about you Daniel. We don't wanna see you hurting."

"Yeah, what he said " Stephen allowed himself to speak, putting his two cents onto the table. He let the more gentle of the three take the lead, knowing he wasn't much of an affectionate talker.

Daniel let out a shaky chuckle, still not used to the affection despite the years he's been with the two. 

"Thanks guys. That means a lot to me." was the only thing he could say without choking on his voice. He silently thanked whatever higher deity out there for blessing his life with such amazing friends. 

Wait, no. Family had better ring to it. Yeah, that's better.

For blessing his life with such an amazing family.

They then pulled themselves into another group hug, once again enjoying the heat eachother provided.

"Does this mean you don't wanna play again ? Not that we mind if you don't. Just wondering. I mean, if push comes to nothing, we can always hang it on the wall." Stephen asked, suddenly breaking the silent atmosphere. 

It was true, he didn't really care whether or not the guitar would ever be put to use. They could just use it as decoration on their wall. They needed something to fill the empty space anyway. 

Daniel thought about it. He was slowly getting over his fear of big crowds but that didn't make it any less comfortable for him to play in one. Given time and enough space to breath though, he might be able to play comfortably with his friends around. If he was lucky, there's a chance they would even like it.

"No, I will. Someday. Probably wouldn't play it when you guys are around just yet though. Still gotta get comfortable again with everything. It's been awhile." he proclaimed and the other nodded their heads in agreement. They didn't mind waiting. Not at all.

As they later moved on with their day, Daniel felt more content with himself than he did before this. It was as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders after so long. It was refreshing and as he gave another look at the wooden instrument before going back to his regular daily schedule, he smiled. 

It would be nice to play again.


	2. Would It Be Okay ?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel wants a go with the guitar but how would Hosuh and Stephen react ?

Dan stood in the hallway, leaning against one of the pillars with a cup of steaming coffee in his hands; black and bitter. Just how he liked it. No emo pun intended. 

He didn't realise what he was doing at first, not until he looked away to take a quick sip of the hot liquid. It was only until he looked up once more did Daniel found himself eyeing the object in question once again.

The guitar was proudly propped up in the corner of their living room, this time making use of the wooden stand that was provided. The drawn curtain by the nearby window allowed a ray of golden sunshine to come in contact with the wooden instrument making it appear glowing angelically. The shimmering golden patterns on the side of the guitar didn't help the matter as the light made it sparkle all the more magical. It was like something that came out of a fairy tale one would say.

It had been a week since the trio received the mysterious package which was nonetheless surprising to see, even now as it stood in their living room. Stephen took it upon himself to phone both Jay and his brother the next day, asking about the guitar. In which both truthfully declined the accusation, their excuse being that they would never spend way too much money on a little prank. Gavin even added in call, that pranks were supposed to be for temporary inconvenience, not of as a full blown expensive gift.

Especially, if the object in question was in as great condition as it had been described. They were still students after all. Money did not come easy for any of the boys sake, whether they liked to admit it or not.

This led to the three to presume that Lady Luck had been merciful and gracious to provide such a marvelous present for them. 

Well, more like for Daniel at least.

It had also been a week since the man's recent meltdown, which let on to him admitting his enochlophobia to both of his closest companions. He had never intended to out himself like that, especially in such a sad state. Hell, he never liked admitting it aloud to himself.

Needless to say, he was ever so grateful that the two had never mentioned the incident since. He was positive he would've probably buried himself 6 feet under, alive, if they ever did any time soon.

Both Stephen and Hosuh made a solemn vow not to bring the subject up unless they strictly had permission from the man in question in order to spare his pride.

It was almost funny really.

While the comments were left unsaid, both of his housemates had found the view to be quite hilarious with how content their friend looked at the instrument. 

"He's silently simping " was the phrase Stephen had chosen to use whenever they saw their green haired friend observing the instrument. To think there were people who seemed to be so absorbed in a certain object. It was like watching a cat spying on those red dot lasers, ready to pounce.

Obviously, they were very much aware of Dan's anxiety to play while others were watching so they tried their best to stay out of his vision whenever they noticed him finiking with the strings in hopes to hear some sweet melody being played throughout the house. Sadly, that moment had yet to happen.

Daniel let out a dissatisfied sigh at his patheticness. He thought he was better than this. To get so easily distracted just from the mere sight of the instrument. For a whole week, the man had just been enjoying the presence of the wonderfully crafted guitar without making any moves once so ever to play it.

He might as well start using it if he was going to be this easily distracted. 

But, what if they saw me ?

He let his mind linger on that last thought. His housemates were dealing with their own work in their respective bedrooms with Hosuh having to finish some unfinished homework whilst Stephen was busy studying for the upcoming exams.

It would be fine if he played right ?

" They probably wouldn't hear it if I played quietly" he bargained.

He wasn't even sure about that statement himself since he knew the walls were incredibly thin considering its cheap price when they bought it last year. 

Well, what if they heard ? 

Would they judge him ?

Would they think it's bad ? 

What if he messed up ?

What if they laugh ?

Would th-

Ah, fuck it.

Before he could let his incoherent thoughts get the better of him, Dan walked over to the coffee table to place down his half emptied mug in which the drink had long gotten cold before grabbing the guitar and slinging the strap around his shoulder and taking a seat on the old couch. 

Just as he imagined, the guitar was a perfect size in his hold. He remembered how his old guitar was a tad bit too big for his size; his fingers having trouble managing tab based songs that needed big jumps around frets. 

With a little help from his growth spurt and some tiresome dieting, his fingers seemed to have an easier time fumbling with the chords as he positioned them according to a few he still remembered using without strumming the strings just yet.

"Let's see. E minor first, then a G, then a ..." 

He lightly strummed the strings, trying to remember the chords to the song he wanted to play. The tips of his fingers stung as it pressed on the metal strings, realising that they had long lost the calluses due to the long absence of not playing.

"Remember Dan, training the tips of your fingers so that they became tough is necessary if you want to play guitar comfortably."

Daniel remembered the advice his old tutor would give him whenever he complained that his fingers hurt from the constant abuse of skin against thin metal.

He couldn't help but smile at the memory. He loved how his tutor was very patient with his slow paced learning and constant string of complaints, even often rewarding him with sweets when he managed to decently and properly play a whole verse with little to no mistakes.

It was one of the many things he enjoyed about playing guitar. The memories it left behind. It was one the sweeter moments he had in middle school. What made life during then a little less difficult to manage.

After a few minutes of struggling, he finally managed to properly place the chords without much pausing. He took a moment to congratulate himself in silence.

With another boost of confidence, he let his hands do the work as they slowly began to pick up the tempo. As he familiarised himself with the music; strumming slightly more louder so he could get a proper feel, the acoustic melody started feeling the empty spaces of the living room.

He mentally sang along to the words of the song, memorising every single word. It was one of the first songs his tutor ever taught him to play and the lyrics were practically burned into his memory like a tattoo. 

He did his best to make sure he didn't overstrume the guitar to avoid the other two from hearing.

Little did he know, he had underestimated how thin the walls really were as the mellow music had made its way through out the the rest of the house.

Hosuh had long ditched his homework out of boredom; not willing to look at any more notes for the time being. Not in this weather he wasn't.

He was currently much more interested in listening to the birds that were twittering outside his open window. His housemates would say he had the most unfortunate of rooms choices when he picked the one where a large oak tree was blocking a good majority of his window vision. 

Hosuh on the hand, could not complain as the sound of rustling leaves and scuttering animals had helped ease himself to sleep more times than he liked to admit. Him being able to climb out the window and up onto the tree as a temporary hiding spot from the two's constant playful argues was an additional bonus to the tree. It was nice.

Call it unlucky all they want, Hosuh still loved his bedroom.

Homework could wait. He had a couple more days before he had to hand it in anyway. A little nap wouldn't hurt. 

He let himself succumb to the noise as his body relaxed on his cushion white mattress, ever so soft and warm. The sunny weather was pure bliss for him as he lay lazily on his bed; eyes closed shut hoping that mother nature would lull him to a relaxing, quiet slumber. The various sounds of nature was paradise as he felt sleep tug at his eyelids, coaxing him to sleep.

' That guitar playing in the background is pretty nice too.'

Wait a minute, a guitar ?

Hosuh did a double take as he jumped out of bed; eyes wide awake. He tried listening more closely to the music; eyes squinted in focus, attempting to properly make out the sound.

No doubt about it , that was the sound of a guitar. The more he paid attention, the more he realised that the soft music was coming from downstairs. In his house. In his living room.

He bolted to the door in big skips, practically yanking the door handle open with an ounce of strength he never knew he had. Through the hallways, he was greeted by some melodious guitar strumming, warm and sweet like honey.

Just as he about to head towards the stairway, the bedroom door across of his own swung open, revealing a rather disheveled roommate; eyes darting left to right as though in search of something. If Hosuh were honest, the sight of his dear housemate made him want to laugh. His hair was in complete disarray; some of it managing to block his left eye like a curtain. A pair of black square rimmed glasses seemed to have been pushed up rather forcefully by its owner to the bridge of his nose and his clothes were terribly rumpled.

Just a few moments before, Stephen too had slowly began to feel sick from reading the same line of text over and over again. He had let himself lean against his chair, removing the headphones that had long stopped playing any music. Just as he could feel the familiar tug of rest, his ears caught the most vague sound of a strumming guitar. He swore he almost fell out of his seat as he raced for his door, swinging it open to reveal his friend standing cautiously at his own bedroom door.

Stephen took a second to look at Hosuh in the eye; his face contorted into something of glee and disbelief before darting towards the stairway with Hosuh following suit, knowing what his friend was thinking.

Right as Stephen was about to run down the flight of stairs, Hosuh latched onto his sleeve, pulling him back to stop him. This caused the taller of the two to fall backwards, knocking over both of them onto the wooden floor. The youngest cursed in annoyance.

" What the hell was that for ?! " he said, quickly getting back on his feet as he rubbed a sore spot on his elbow. As he was about to let another angry retort at the man, Hosuh brought a finger to his lips; shushing him.

" Shh, remember what Daniel said ? He gets nervous when people watch him play. We're gonna end up freaking him out if go down there right now." he responded in a loud whisper. He brought his finger away from his lips when he noticed the look of understanding in Stephen's eyes. Hosuh let out a small sigh of relief as he let himself look away.

" I think it's best if we just listened from up here, m'kay ?" Stephen silently nodded his head in acceptance. They both brought themselves closer to the edge of the railing to get a better listen. Now that they bought had quiet down, the strumming was much more clearer.

The tunes was pleasantly warm. It reminded Stephen of warm sunny days, summer breezes, casual walks in the woods and evening naps. Somehow, the nostalgic melody brought him to a time when he was still a young, naïve child with his siblings. They would play around in their backyard and collect various and random assortments of trinkets to keep in their collection like empty snail shells, small rocks and colourful dried leaves. Oh, what fond memories they were.

Hosuh couldn't make out where he had heard the melody. It was sticking to the tip of his tongue and he hated it. He remembered the trio singing this song somewhere when they were in highschool. Back when times where simpler and they were just living their lives for the sake of it. They would sneak out their houses in the middle morning just so they could hang around in Dan's old treehouse where they would watch old movies and eat warm buttered popcorn until the sun came up to wake them from they little made up fantasies.

Damn, what would he give to relive does days again. No fussing over house bills and college dept. No heavy loaded all- nighters to finish up homework. Just the three of them against the odds of life, no matter what it threw at them.

Whilst being enveloped by the familiar nostalgia, both Stephen and Hosuh almost didn't notice that their friend had finished his song and the living room was left, once again, in silence. They couldn't get a proper look at Dan from where they were sitting but they did manage to catch a heavy sigh that proceeded with a low 'thunk' in which they assumed he had set the guitar back down it's original spot. 

In lightning speed, the two had panicly hurried their way back into their respected rooms as they heard the other man making his towards the staircase, steps echoing as he went up. 

Closing the door behind their rooms, they separately pondered with the very recent event they led themselves to. Hosuh made way to his bed and took a seat, the soft cotton cushion sinking a tad under the weight. He absent mindedly let his eyes fall upon his closed window, letting his eyes focus on a thin branch that delicately scratch the glass surface. 

Stephen had been standing by his doorway, back faced to the wooden material. He kept his eyes closed as the music lingered behind in his ears, a wave of nostalgia washing over him like the tides at sea. 

If there was one thought the two were sharing at that very moment , it was this.

Whatever that was, they wanted to hear it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my old guitar tutor who passed a few years ago. He was a nice man who never got angry or complained when I didn't get something right even after several classes :') My prayers are with him always.
> 
> ( I know I wasn't your best student sir and I fucked up a lot but I want you to know I'm still playing and I miss you dearly. May God bless you in heaven. )


	3. Could You Sing For Us ?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could even think to stop himself 
> 
> "Could you sing for us ?"

Days turned into weeks as Daniel continued his practice playing. It was impressive how much the man had improved considering the prolonged period he had been avoiding playing. Within a couple of weeks since he started playing again, Dan's strumming had become less awkward and he could easily place chords without messing up the tempo. 

What was even more impressive, was how the man slowly to be more bold during his jam sessions. Weeks prior, he wouldn't even sit easily if he caught the other two staring whenever he played. It was a relief for both Stephen and Hosuh when their friend started relaxing when they saw him play two weeks ago. 

Of course, he would still prefer to play alone but seeing that his friends didn't mind, even complementing how well he played gave Daniel the small boost of pride that he needed. 

Eventually, he had formed a schedule to whenever he could practice to make sure he didn't get too distracted and pay focus in school. At some point, his other housemates started to notice the system and had grown comfortable to the timing. It was as though the green haired man had chosen exactly the right moments whenever the two wanted some music around to lighten the atmosphere. 

One of the trio's favourite time was when it was the weekends and they had no lectures to attend for the rest of the afternoon. Hosuh would be making lunch alongside Stephen in the kitchen whilst the other entertained them as he sat by the dining table, often playing songs requested by the duo as long he knew the right chords. 

Bonus was if they started singing. 

Well, Stephen and Hosuh would at the least. Even before the guitar incident, music in the kitchen wasn't something foreign for the three. Normally, one of them would have their phones connected to the Bluetooth speaker they left on the island and choose a random playlist, set to shuffle. This would lead on to an orchestra of awkward singing as they kept a watchful eye on the food that was cooking. 

Daniel never joined them but he always enjoyed the warm view of his two bestfriends having fun nonetheless. Unlike some people ( Ann ), Daniel found that he actually liked his friends singing, as biased as it may seem. They weren't anywhere near great but at the very least they crossed the line of ' decent '.

In contrast to popular belief, Hosuh did not sing like an angel. His voice came out more raspy than it did a good majority of the time and often the man didn't even know half of the words to the songs that were being played on the radio. He did like dancing though. Nothing choreographed; mostly being little shimmies and swaying but it was a cute site to take in anyway. 

Stephen was no better exception compared to their more mellow of a friend, his voice standing in-between the lines of decent and mildly good. His singing was a crack of thunder in comparison with the radio. No matter where you were in the house, the purple mohawk-ed man's voice could be heard echoing through the hallways. 

It was amusing for most people to watch though. Proof was when the trio were invited to kareoke sessions at Gavin's, where Stephen was a bursting ball of energy, often dancing along to the music with Hosuh.

If it were about Dan though, Hosuh was almost a hundred percent sure that the only time either two had heard Dan sing was the recording session for their " Can you become a K- Pop idol ?" video. Even then, the man's singing was overshadowed by their guest, Jenny. Sure, her voice was amazing but Hosuh would have been lying if he said he'd rather hear hers over Daniel's.

After the recording, Stephen had actually complimented his singing to which the latter frantically tried changing the subject whilst rambling nonsense like his voice was terrible and that he was considering not to put that part of the audio in the video. The oldest thought that statement was absolutely ridiculous. 

Hell, even the fans loved his singing. He remembered how the comments for the video had sky rocketed within the day, being filled with compliments and adoration about Daniel's melodic song.

\--

It was once again the weekends as the trio sat lazily on the couch, trying to relax despite the fact they had piles upon piles of unfinished schoolwork stacked neatly on their coffee table, unwanted and untouched since the past hour. 

The lilac haired man had unceremoniously propped his legs on said table, ignoring the silver haired man's noises of protest, muttering something about getting the table dirty before returning to cuddle with Daniel; too tired to care. 

The mentioned sat in-between the two with one of his arms wrapping Hosuh into a side hug whilst his other hand was loosely intertwined with the younger of the three. The TV was left ignored as all three had long lost the desire to watch the cliché action movie they chose for the sake of entertaining their boredom.

A few minutes passed before the lime green haired man had enough of the silence and stood up from the couch, much to the other two's slurred disagreement. He then swiftly went to grab the guitar from the stand before plopping back in the middle of the two. 

"Any requests ?" he asked, looking back and forth between the latter.

Stephen hummed in question as he thought of a song for his friend to play, knowing very well the man wasn't going to play something by Aimer. 

"Hmm, how about that song by that Eden dude ? The one you played when we were cooking last week. It was pretty good."

"Oh, that one. Alrighty then."

As Dan played the intro of the song, his fingers easily playing the tabs like it was second nature, Hosuh subconsciously stared at the man, wheels turning in his head like gears on a clock. 

The words tumbled of his mouth before he could even think to stop himself.

"Could you sing for us ?"

The platinum white haired man could feel the regret sink in as Dan abruptly stopped his strumming all to immediately. 

Stephen couldn't help but visibly cringe at the way Daniel ended the last note, severely out of tune and painful to his ears. Heavens knew his friend didn't mean any ill intent from the question ( fact is, he was considering asking the same thing ) but out of all the times for him bring up the subject, it was now ?

Out of instinct, he moved to look the eldest in the eye; face formed into what the other could only presume was him saying " What the fuck dude ?". To which he was greeted with an expression that could only possibly mean " I'm sorry."

The duo looked up to the presumed guitar player in worry. Neither were surprised when they came face to face with a blank, unreadable expression. 

"... "

" I- I, Daniel, I'm so sorry ! Ignore what I just said. You don't have to do it. I didn't know what came over me. You- "

" You won't laugh right ?"

Daniel spoke quietly, voice coming out in low mumbles, cutting Hosuh's frantic attempt of an apology. The room went silent for a moment, as the other two tried to process what their friend said. 

Would they laugh ? At his singing ? Obviously their answer was gonna be a-

" No. No, we won't " Stephen spoke up, when he realised the other was at a loss for words, answering for both of them. Daniel could only eye the man in question, searching for any form of lies written in his face and to his surprise he only saw pure sincerity swimming in his eyes. 

The way the purple mohawk haired man looked at him was something completely foreign for Daniel. It was a sight he had only seen a countable amount of times in his life. The last time he saw this face was when it wasn't even directed towards himself. Hosuh had gotten out of a serious relationship with someone he knew way back in highschool and it left him rather depressed for a couple months. This led for the two to do their everything to get him back to his usual happy self. This was when Stephen took off his usual sarcastic mask for the sake of his best friend. Many words of encouragement, love and support were given that you wouldn't ever hear the almighty Stephen say for anyone besides himself. That alone was enough to get Hosuh back in his spirits and if younger Daniel were honest, a small fraction of him wished that Stephen might do the same for him.

But with the situation as it is now, Daniel couldn't bear to keep looking at the man any longer. He didn't remember when he moved so he was now face to face with the latter but he wished he didn't. The golden glint that danced harmoniesly with his amethyst eyes made Daniel think he was gonna drown in them like a storm at sea. So dangerously beautiful. It was a drastic change compared to the usual dull lavender he saw everyday and even that was enough get anyone groveling to their knees if they allowed themselves to.

" Daniel, look at me. We won't laugh. Ever. We do wanna hear you sing but if it's bothering still, don't. Hosuh said that unintentionally. Don't force yourself to do this. We're okay whenever."

He felt a sudden weight on his back to which he realised was Hosuh hugging him close from behind as a silent sign of an apology. The guitar made the positioning awkward for all three but he decided he'd endure it for a little. He then dared himself to look up once again and oh, was that a mistake. The loving embrace from his older friend was one thing but to be faced by a face Daniel was sure gonna be the death of him ( in a good way ) one day was almost too overwhelming. 

He couldn't find the will to say no. Not when he knew he wasn't going to be judged. Not when he knew there was somebody who would chase after him if he ran. Someone who would catch him if he felt like falling. Hell, not one but two. The one thing he secretly hoped somebody did for him that day. To ground him and make him realise it was gonna be okay. 

"I- I, uh. Mm, okay but I can't promise anything good. Um, Hosuh, mind moving ?" he piped and that was enough for the two to move away to give him a bit more room to play.

When he finally got comfortable, he took a moment to shake away the constant jittering before going back to play the tabs from before. Hosuh and Stephen could only watch in silence, all the while searching for any signs of their friend wanting to back out, so they could make him stop from losing it. 

When Daniel paused at the end of the intro, they almost thought he was backing out.

Well, almost.

"So tell me this is who you are "

"They tell me I've got something more"

"And oh, you could be loved"

Were they expecting his singing to be good ? Yes. 

Did they know he could sing good ? Yes

Yet that didn't stop the latter to be absolutely whipped from the blowing attack. His voice had the perfect brew between raspy and soft that made the song all the more meaningful. Hearing the song with no lyrics was more than enough for Hosuh to feel the cloud of emotions bundled within it. This was just practically a punch straight to the gut.

"Cause I just wanna sing like Sinatra"

" Singing like I can't stop"

"Cause I could never rock like a Rolling Stone"

"I just wanna live like the ones before, yeah "

Stephen's eyes traced around the man as he sang and he eventually noticed the way his eyes were shut close; brows furrowed to an anxious expression. Without a doubt, Stephen felt like he was deep underwater, with the only clear sensation he could feel was the hypnotic singing as everything else just felt muddy and heavy in his head. He wasn't a man of belief but if there were angels he was sure they sound like this.

Somewhere in the corner of his vision, he saw Hosuh astonished by the very man before them. Frankly, the face he was making was kinda funny but the narcissist couldn't even find a reason to blame him. It was likely he was making the same face anyway.

"But you could be loved"

"But I don't wanna lie to tell myself"

"I'm more than the mistakes I've done wrong"

As he continued, Dan let himself crumble away; succumbing to the music. Everything felt weightless and floaty as he thought of nothing else aside how much he was obsessed with the song. 

For years, the lyrics stuck to him like glue and for so long he used them as life lessons, mental notes that kept him in check on most yood days. On days when things weren't going at all well, where not even his own friends could be there with him, he'd play the song on repeat, like a prayer, that released him from the hurt and tension. The way he related to the lyrics fundamental meaning, saved him in many occasions and even to this day.

"Cause I ain't scared of living"

Hosuh swore someone must have poured ice water over him when Daniel sang that verse. The chills he received from the dip in the music left him at a lost for words. Hosuh looked past the singer to see Stephen was just about as dazed as himself. He stifled a giggle when he saw him mouth a silent "woah ", in regards to said dip. 

"What are we breathing for if we ain't living ?"

"And I don't want your love" 

"I just wanna feel like I'm still living"

As the song was getting closer to its end, Daniel sang with an ounce more vigor than before, finding a familiar tug of confidence within himself. 

"And if there is no God"

"I'll know the day I die I lived through heaven"

"And that I gave it hell"

"And if it hurt, oh, well at least that's living"

Those words hit Stephen more than he'd like to ever admit. Like he was staring into a mirror. A talking mirror. He let out a gasp he didn't notice holding before curling into a small ball, basking in the music, wishing they'd have more moments like these. Hosuh followed suit as he took hold of one of the pillow cushions for some form of self- comfort.

"That's all I want" 

Just as the acoustic music slowly faded away, the room fell quiet. The latter sat in the middle, fidgeting with the guitar strings. Beads of sweat could be seen in the back of his nape as he waited for some form of response. Which was followed by him being tackled into a gangly mess if arms and legs. Laughter soon erupted as Stephen and Hosuh started cheering in unison. 

" Dude, that was fucking great !"

" Yeah, like, that that dip was so freaking cool ! I swear I got goose bumps from that !" 

" That solo was crazy too !"

"Heh, thanks guys. You're probably the only idiots who would like it though. " 

" Are you kidding me ?! Your singing was incredible ! If I knew this was what you were hiding this entire time, I would've gotten you a guitar myself " Stephen exclaimed, a bit too enthusiastically, too which Hosuh could slowly shake his head; chuckling.

Dan could only laugh at their mountain of compliments, silently grateful they actually liked his horrendous singing. It will probably forever remain a mystery to him with how lucky he was to have friends like them.

And maybe, just maybe. If they liked it, other people would too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If your wondering what the song is called it's " Rock + Roll" by Eden 
> 
> Go listen to it and his other works :) They hold a special place in my heart and helped me out on days I couldn't ask it from anyone else. Hopefully, it could do the same for you.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi ! Thanks for choosing to read my story :) This was just a scrap that I decided to work on again. It's not the best thing I made but at this point I'm just glad it's finished. 
> 
> I had the idea to continue it again when I found out Daniel canonically actually knows how to play guitar. 
> 
> A lot of the situations that happened within this story is based on my real life experiences ( Not everything but most of it )
> 
> I'd would be really helpful if you comment what you wanna read next aside from these stories :D 
> 
> Though, I will admit I'm more comfortable with mutual relationships compared to shipping ( I'll do it of it seems cool but if it goes to serious relationships I'll probably avoid them ) 
> 
> Leave a kudos if you like em :')


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